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Everything Can Improve With Honey Sweet Torah

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Everything Can Improve With Honey Sweet Torah

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Rabbi Avroham Schorr asks, Why was the Torah given in a place of snakes,serpents and scorpions? It gives us a limpse of the future galus, despite tumeh (imurity) we can prevail.Even nevelah,or a bee in honey, some opinions holds it goes from assur(forbidden) to mutar(permitted). That is the power of the sweetness of Torah The Rosh says, a person knows he can change. The Sfas Emes asks would you send out an army without weapons? Of course not! We have the Torah and this is our way of fighting the Yetzer Hara. So why eat fine flour chometz loaves on Shavuot and why engage in physical pleasures if we celebrate a spiritual giving of the Torah. One answer is we have worked our way up from the Pesach and matzoh , counting the Sefirat Ha Omer and now we can eat the chometz offering. Another idea is that withou physciality we can not be zocheh(merit) to receive Torah. This point will be emphasized in the Haftorah of Yechezkel. Here the moloch(angel) is called an Omeid(standing). Yes the Angel can stand in place but he can't growWe grow, as Rashi said in Parshat Behukotai, if you walk in My Statutes means amelim or toil in Torah. We toil and we get reward. In the hadran we say we toil and they toil....we toil and even if we don't accomplish a product or a firm understanding of what we learned we receive schar.

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This is a bit problematic in that the tzaddikim got it delivered  right to their door step , the Baynonim or intermediates got it in their court yard but the rashaim(wicked) needed to travel to get it and then it needed to be prepared.  For the tzaddik it had a wide range of tastes.  For the rasha it was very boring to eat.  so each gets something but the tzaddik gets the most beneficial feeling and experience.  The Malbim says if your own mirror is darkened you will see wisdom as alien and unaccessible.  That is why in Mishlei Shlomo Hamelech says (17_24) The wise person looks in front of him but the fool looks to the end of the earth.  

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This is a bit problematic in that the tzaddikim got it delivered  right to their door step , the Baynonim or intermediates got it in their court yard but the rashaim(wicked) needed to travel to get it and then it needed to be prepared.  For the tzaddik it had a wide range of tastes.  For the rasha it was very boring to eat.  so each gets something but the tzaddik gets the most beneficial feeling and experience.  The Malbim says if your own mirror is darkened you will see wisdom as alien and unaccessible.  That is why in Mishlei Shlomo Hamelech says (17_24) The wise person looks in front of him but the fool looks to the end of the earth.  

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This brings us to 2 seemingly divergent view on learning Torah.  The first is that one must kill oneself to be mkabel Torah.  Rabbi Hamoui quotes Pirkei Avos 5-23 According to the effort is the reward.  Rav Pam amplifies on this point -when he asked yeshiva students their favorite mesechta they said the one that was most difficult.
Now we can appreciate the words of the Vilna Gaon, all the bitterness and struggle becomes sweet when we make a concerted effort to study Torah.
MIshlei 27- 7 states a sated soul tramples the honeycomb and the hungry soul finds bitter to be sweet.  The sated soul cannot appreciate that acquisition of physical things is self defeating but Torah has the opposite effect leading to greater and more lasting appreciation.
Rabbi Moshe Francis points out that the transformation from animal food,barley to fine wheat flour mirrors our spirtiual ascent during sefira. Giving us a better appreciation of the refined menachot we bring on Shavous

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A Tzaddik is like a date palm, and like a cedar of Lebanon(B"Hamikdash also  called Lebanon)  In Parshat Emor we talked about the 2 times we use the word say.  Say to Cohanim , be fruitful but also be strong and upright.  In another view Rabbi Appeldorfer says the Yated Lev says a date palm gives shade  Its' shade goes further and reaches others.  We see the tehillim continues...with planted in the house of Hashem.  To learn Torah we need not be alone in a sulfurous soil but rather among others learning Torah.  roshei tavos of these 3 words  Shimon Bar Yochi.  He planted himself in a cave and learned with his son for many years!

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A Tzaddik is like a date palm, and like a cedar of Lebanon(B"Hamikdash also  called Lebanon)  In Parshat Emor we talked about the 2 times we use the word say.  Say to Cohanim , be fruitful but also be strong and upright.  In another view Rabbi Appeldorfer says the Yated Lev says a date palm gives shade  Its' shade goes further and reaches others.  We see the tehillim continues...with planted in the house of Hashem.  To learn Torah we need not be alone in a sulfurous soil but rather among others learning Torah.  roshei tavos of these 3 words  Shimon Bar Yochi.  He planted himself in a cave and learned with his son for many years!

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Tehillim 133-1 has a further lesson fom th e Yated Lev, Henay mah tov u mah naim. Why have the word mah 2x? The lesson Moshe demurred , no Aharon you do this, No said Aharon , Moshe you should do this. This level of anuvus leads to friendship and and limud Hatorah. This is brought out in Gemara Taanit wherre Choni Hanmagul returns after a 40 year "sleep". Despite the fact that his ideas were still in vogue he lost connection with the current generationand said--better death than no chavruta(study partner)

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Did you set times for Torah study and did you transact business honestly?     Rabbi Aharon Lichenstein brings Avot 1-15 Shammi says make your Torah keva.  On this Rashi says make Torah keva the entire day and learn 4-5 chapters every day.  Rashi, explained by Rabbi Lichenstein is telling us don't set aside Torah time-rather make it something part of your whole daily agenda.Yes give firm ness to your commitment learn a set amount.  This will cover your heart and mind with Torah.One key point is that if you hear something from a sage in the Bet midrash from a sage regard it as permanent not transient.  This is what Ezra confronted in Bavel and that scenario has played out over our history.  Jews returning had a tenous relationship to Torah  They told Yechezkel,"we are now exempt from Torah and mitzvot"  To them you align with your home culture and religion  How did Ezra counteract this idea that Yidden are governed by geography or society.  It was to make keva permanent and essential.  And each person can do this in his or her own environment.  So we are getting a better understanding of this idea of not regarding the sages advice as transient but permanent. In the Tosafot 40B,Kavat ittim la Torah--Did you set times for Torah? this is making it a part of you and building up a storehouse!  Rabbi Bar Bar Chana in the Gemara takes this idea one step further in that one who learns with keva but does not internalize his learning is like he has the keys to the outer storage building but for the vault he has no access.And as we study Avos Rabbi Nathan we see a shallow and superficial learning is not keva you learn one thing from another.  This brings us back to the Pesach seder--even if we were chochma(knew a lot), navon(learned one deduction from another point, or a zakan, or even yediat H-all have something to improve on and add.  The Rav continues with motivation to study and the next column we will see how the midrash gives us a good strategy in pursuing a keva in Torah.

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Did you set times for Torah study and did you transact business honestly?     Rabbi Aharon Lichenstein brings Avot 1-15 Shammi says make your Torah keva.  On this Rashi says make Torah keva the entire day and learn 4-5 chapters every day.  Rashi, explained by Rabbi Lichenstein is telling us don't set aside Torah time-rather make it something part of your whole daily agenda.Yes give firm ness to your commitment learn a set amount.  This will cover your heart and mind with Torah.One key point is that if you hear something from a sage in the Bet midrash from a sage regard it as permanent not transient.  This is what Ezra confronted in Bavel and that scenario has played out over our history.  Jews returning had a tenous relationship to Torah  They told Yechezkel,"we are now exempt from Torah and mitzvot"  To them you align with your home culture and religion  How did Ezra counteract this idea that Yidden are governed by geography or society.  It was to make keva permanent and essential.  And each person can do this in his or her own environment.  So we are getting a better understanding of this idea of not regarding the sages advice as transient but permanent. In the Tosafot 40B,Kavat ittim la Torah--Did you set times for Torah? this is making it a part of you and building up a storehouse!  Rabbi Bar Bar Chana in the Gemara takes this idea one step further in that one who learns with keva but does not internalize his learning is like he has the keys to the outer storage building but for the vault he has no access.And as we study Avos Rabbi Nathan we see a shallow and superficial learning is not keva you learn one thing from another.  This brings us back to the Pesach seder--even if we were chochma(knew a lot), navon(learned one deduction from another point, or a zakan, or even yediat H-all have something to improve on and add.  The Rav continues with motivation to study and the next column we will see how the midrash gives us a good strategy in pursuing a keva in Torah.

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The midrash is  explained in a novel way treating the  verse in Shir Hashirim (from Rabbi Chanim of Tzippori) allegorically. One  interpretation of the word taltalim in Shir HaShirim does not mean curls but rather mounds or something suspended from above.  This he said is a mound of earth! The landowner wants to remove a large mound of dirt.  The fool says who can take away such a mound?  But one who is wise says I will dig up and remove 2 containers today and two tomorrow.  Similiarly the fool says it is not possible to become proficient in Torah if Nezikin has 30 chapters.  The wise person learns 2 halchot per day.  And he gains exponentially.  The loaf that is suspended in the rafters--the fool says who can bring it down?  But the wise one says if it got there someone put it there.  The one who comprehends wisdom , but the fools eyes are to the ends of the earth.  The wise person concentrates on what is above him and brings it down to his level.  Finally the workers laugh and jeer, this leaky basket makes everything futile.  The wise person realizes he cannot retain everything.  He takes the approach I will grab what I can handle and then savor what I have.  This fits well with the passuk in Mishlei, 27-11 , the wise persons eyes are straight in front of him but the fool looks to the end of the earth.

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The midrash is  explained in a novel way treating the  verse in Shir Hashirim (from Rabbi Chanim of Tzippori) allegorically. One  interpretation of the word taltalim in Shir HaShirim does not mean curls but rather mounds or something suspended from above.  This he said is a mound of earth! The landowner wants to remove a large mound of dirt.  The fool says who can take away such a mound?  But one who is wise says I will dig up and remove 2 containers today and two tomorrow.  Similiarly the fool says it is not possible to become proficient in Torah if Nezikin has 30 chapters.  The wise person learns 2 halchot per day.  And he gains exponentially.  The loaf that is suspended in the rafters--the fool says who can bring it down?  But the wise one says if it got there someone put it there.  The one who comprehends wisdom , but the fools eyes are to the ends of the earth.  The wise person concentrates on what is above him and brings it down to his level.  Finally the workers laugh and jeer, this leaky basket makes everything futile.  The wise person realizes he cannot retain everything.  He takes the approach I will grab what I can handle and then savor what I have.  This fits well with the passuk in Mishlei, 27-11 , the wise persons eyes are straight in front of him but the fool looks to the end of the earth.

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This whole idea was brought out by the sefer Dorash Dovid

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The Yom Tov of Shavout is tied in with dairy product, Torah is likened to milk, there are many connections. The gematria of Chalav is 40 and we see Moshe was on Har Sinai for 40 days. We also see a good mashal about Milk which has a layer of white cream on top and honey which has impurities on top and is clearer on the bottom. The Chassidim say view your friend as milk and see the good in him or her. View yourself as honey, good but with some things to "clear up".

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We read he Haftorah of Yechezkel on Shavuos and there is one passuk the Rav Pam discusses in his book on Haftorah.   The leg of the moloch was straight.  This discussion of the appearance of angels is not easy to understand.  The Gemara in Chaggigah 11 B say this type of material can only be taught to one student at a time and understood from within oneself.  That being said we learn one can daven like an angel toby keeping ones feet together.  But was does this really mean?  They say a Rebbi is like an omeid.  He stand s and sacrifices his own personal growth and learning objectives to facilitate the needs of his talmidim.  He stands and becomes a teacher of Torah.  He learns much from his teachers, more from his colleagues but the most from his students.

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We read he Haftorah of Yechezkel on Shavuos and there is one passuk the Rav Pam discusses in his book on Haftorah.   The leg of the moloch was straight.  This discussion of the appearance of angels is not easy to understand.  The Gemara in Chaggigah 11 B say this type of material can only be taught to one student at a time and understood from within oneself.  That being said we learn one can daven like an angel toby keeping ones feet together.  But was does this really mean?  They say a Rebbi is like an omeid.  He stand s and sacrifices his own personal growth and learning objectives to facilitate the needs of his talmidim.  He stands and becomes a teacher of Torah.  He learns much from his teachers, more from his colleagues but the most from his students.

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Rabbi Francis says a surviving child is a mholch  He goes and walks in the path prepared by his or her parents.  The person goes beyond his stance and thereby shows the angels that we can surpass the angels.  This is seeen in the Parsh Behukotai, if we walk in the ways of the chukim, even things we cannot fathom, and are amal in Torah, working hard at it, we can be zoche to limud HaTorah.